So, who knew that East Asia had pyramids? These beautifully formed parcels were designed and created to replicate the Pyramid of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. A crispy outer shell representing the building itself is stuffed with creamy tofu, crunchy carrots, soft sweet potato and aromatic spices to represent the as-yet undiscovered riches hidden within.
400g (14oz) sweet potato, cut into 2cm (¾in) cubes
1 large carrot, cut into 1cm (½in) dice
1 Tbsp oil (vegetable, groundnut or coconut), plus extra for deep-frying
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger, minced
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 tsp curry powder (use your favourite)
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp salt
40g (⅓ cup) frozen peas
225g (8oz) firm tofu, drained and crumbled
5 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp water
10–15 spring roll wrappers (25cm/10in square), each cut into 3 equal-sized rectangles
Place the sweet potato and carrot into a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cook for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat, drain and set to one side.
Heat the tablespoon of oil in a wok over a medium-high heat and fry the ginger for 20 seconds until fragrant. Add the onion and fry for about 2 minutes, until translucent. Add the cooked sweet potato and carrots along with the curry powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander and salt and fry for 2 minutes, gently combining the ingredients. Carefully stir in the peas, tofu, spring onions, lemon juice and water. Cook for a further 5 minutes, then transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
Taking a rectangle of spring roll wrapper, place a heaped teaspoon of the filling in the centre at the top of the wrapper. Brush the outer edges of the wrapper with water and then fold repeatedly from one edge to the other along the length of the strip to form a triangle. Pinch the edges and all the corners to make sure they are sealed tight (you don’t want the filling to leak out). Repeat until the filling is used up.
Heat enough oil in a large saucepan to deep-fry the samsa to 180°C (350°F). Fry the samsa in batches for 5 minutes each, turning a couple of times during cooking to achieve an even golden brown colour. Transfer to kitchen paper and serve warm or cold.